"I Love What You're Doing"

Hi, my name is Laina… is how I start every cold call email I send—an introduction thrown into the ocean of your inboxes, begging for your attention just long enough to read what could very well be a phishing email.

As a graphic designer who finally accepted that I needed to actively seek out clients, I started sending a lot of emails. If you’re a business owner in Kamloops, you might’ve received one from me. I looked for small businesses with no website yet, hoping to match my average skillset to their limited budgets. Too often—for lack of income—I found myself offering my time and energy for free. I just wanted to help.

In trying to find businesses to reach out to, I began what would eventually become the first version of a local directory. What I thought would be simple research quickly became something else entirely. It was far more difficult than I expected to figure out who was actually local—or even to find them in the first place. I sifted through endless websites and search results. Existing directories were little help: sparse in their listings and hardly comprehensive.

It was exasperating. What should have been simple felt unnecessarily complicated, with the absence of a clear place to look. It shouldn't have been that hard.

At first, the idea was nothing more than a potential side business. But the more I looked at it through that lens, the more I realized I wouldn’t be much different than a marketing agency—with fewer resources and lesser skills than competitors. That realization is when it shifted.

Instead of asking how I could compete, I started asking different questions: How could I help for as little in return as possible? What was actually needed by businesses? What was missing for consumers? From there, what began as observation became something closer to inevitability. It was a slippery slope into building up the community in a way that felt distinct, useful, and necessary.

I began to immerse myself in the small business community: attending markets, tapping into social networks, learning the names and faces behind brands, storefronts, and vendor tables. Kamloops is my home, and I thought I knew the city well enough.

Apparently not.

Unless someone spends months or years deliberately investing the time and energy to network and become connected, there is very little chance they will know even a fraction of the local businesses in Kamloops. Yes, some businesses are well established and have the resources to advertise in meaningful ways, so a significant number of potential customers know what they offer—or even that they exist in the first place. But many do not.

It is also worth noting that for business owners themselves, it can be incredibly difficult to find partners, colleagues, and camaraderie if they do not already have an “in.” Part of what we aim to do is make it more accessible for businesses to find collaborators and like-minded individuals.

When we hear accessibility, it is often in the context of people with disabilities. But the term simply means lessening the difficulty, size, or number of obstacles in pursuit of a goal. Whether that is making it easier to open a heavy door (like those automatic buttons for wheelchair users) or providing more ways for a customer to engage with your services or products, it is all accessibility.

For local businesses, lack of accessibility shows up in questions like these:

Who will be at the local farmers market? What do they sell? Where is their table? What products do they have with them? How much do their products cost? Are they based out of Kamloops? Can I look them up online in advance? What markets will they be at? When will they be there? Where do they source their supplies? Is the market advertising the vendors? Are the vendors advertising the market? Can I buy this product at a local retailer? Do I have to order via email or phone? Do they deliver?

In Kamloops, there is no centrepoint for local commerce. Without personal research, it is not easy to know what businesses are local when you walk down the street. If you search for a product online, the results focus on corporate chains with Kamloops locations—or companies that simply ship here (or anywhere).

For us, ease of access is largely about awareness. We want to be the go-to for finding the local option. With an increasingly strong societal push to shop local—especially considering the current state of global trade—we want to help you put your money where your mouth is. To know the names, faces, and stories of the people contributing to our community and economy. To support our neighbours so that they may support us. To re-localize our wealth in an ever-divided world.

We want to make it as easy as possible to choose local first.

All of this to say: forging past my impostor syndrome and fear of failure, my conviction strengthens with every person I sit across from and share this mission with. Because every time I do, the message repeated back to me is the same:

“I love what you’re doing… how can I help?”